We are entering a busy period for Transform Rockford activities and opportunities for engagement:

Final opportunities for visioning: We have a week of visioning sessions ahead, culminating in a final session at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 31, at Rock Valley College’s Woodward Technology Center. See transformrockford.org for the full list of sessions, as well as an opportunity to share your vision online. From this vision input, community goals will be established. Please let your voice be heard on this.

Community Learning Series: This series continues at 6:30 Tuesday at Rockford University’s Fisher Chapel. Norm Walzer, Northern Illinois University senior research scholar, will give his thoughts on practices and processes to drive community change. Angel Contreras and Scott Anderson, co-leads of the Transform Rockford Process Team, will respond as a panel to relate Dr. Walzer’s ideas to Transform Rockford and to respond to Dr. Walzer’s challenges and suggestions. As usual, there will be opportunities for community input and questions.

Vision drafting: In April, the input from the visioning efforts will be compiled into a draft vision and offered for community review and comment. Watch for more on this in coming weeks.

Please take an opportunity to share your vision of a transformed Rockford region and to learn about the process of Transform Rockford.

Volunteer spotlight

Name: Kuenzi Dearth

Age: 26

Occupation: I am a certified therapeutic recreation specialist (CTRS) and a recreation coordinator in the Therapeutic Recreation Department for the Rockford Park District. Our department provides programming and services for individuals of all ages with disabilities. My service area is Inclusion Services, and within this area I help create, develop and implement a variety of modifications and accommodations so that individuals with various disabilities-related needs can successfully participate in programs with their typically developing peers.

Lived in Rockford area since: I moved to the Rockford area in May of 2010 to complete an internship in the Therapeutic Recreation Department at the Rockford Park District. After completing my internship and working as a seasonal employee I joined RPD as a full-time employee and have been here ever since.

Transform Rockford involvement: I am on the Youth Focus team that falls under the Engagement Team. Our team is currently working hard to keep youth in our region involved and engaged in Transform Rockford. We feel that engaging and involving the youth in our region is vital to the transformation and success of our community. Each youth in our community has a unique story, and we want to be sure their voices, thoughts and ideas are heard.

Page 2 of 2 - The importance of shared values: I believe the shared values are the building blocks to a successful, strong and unified community. By implementing the nine shared values — inclusion, caring, respect, transparency, trustworthiness, unity, ideation, responsibility and interconnectedness — in our daily lives, we will begin to see transformation in our region.